Whistleblowers are a powerful force for integrity and transparency. They bring to light hidden wrongdoing, expose abuse of power, and help hold institutions and individuals to account. But in today’s world, where misinformation and disinformation campaigns flourish, whistleblowers find themselves doubly vulnerable. They become targets of coordinated attacks designed to undermine their credibility, intimidate them into silence, and manipulate the narrative in the court of public opinion.
These attacks come in many forms. Sophisticated online smear campaigns amplify falsehoods and foster doubts about the motives and character of the whistleblower. Defamation lawsuits, often called strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs), are increasingly used to harass, intimidate, and discredit those who speak up. At the same time, from their unique vantage point within organisations, whistleblowers can cut through this fog of disinformation and expose not only fraud and abuse, but also the mechanisms by which misinformation is manufactured and deployed.
On World Whistleblower Day, we celebrate their indispensable role in strengthening integrity and upholding the public’s right to know. We also reflect on the growing need to protect these brave individuals from retaliation, online attacks, legal intimidation and even physical violence, because when whistleblowers are silenced, we all suffer a weakening of accountability, fairness, and trust in our institutions.
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